I have now finished my article about Dr James Robertson Preston, Medical Officer of health for Sutton Coldfield between 1946 and his retirement in the 1970's. He was born in Yoker, Glasgow in 1913. He trained as a doctor at Glasgow University and during WW2 blitz he worked at what had been a fever hospital but was taking in war wounded from the area. There he met his wife Dr Jean Elizabeth (Betty) MacLachlan. They married and had a daughter in 1946. The same year they moved to Four Oaks Sutton Coldfield when Jim took up his ne role for the borough council. Notable events for him included helping rescue those injured in the 1955 rail crash at Sutton station; doing the Monte Carlo Rally from Glasgow to Monte Carlo, and meeting the Queen in 1957 during the 9th World Scouts Jamboree at Sutton Park. Sadly Jim was killed in a Scottish rail crsh in 1979. The James Prrston Health Centre was named after him. I have pieced together his life with the help of his daughter Louise and granddaugter Lucy and others. The pdf is too big to upload here. The printed version will be at Sutton Train station on 19th September for the heritiage event. It is also now uploaded onto Sutton Coldfield Local History Research Group and on my facebook group. I aam happy to email it to anyoe who is interested. It has been such an interesting project - especially my first venture onto Scotlands People. Gasgow archives have also put it on their public access website.
- seems despite naming of a medical centre in his honour and his senior position he remains somewhat obscure